Hardcover, 352 pages

Chapters

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. The Origin, Classification, and Use of Steel Traps

2. The Early Years (1600-1750)
Introduction; Possible Use in Early New France and Newfoundland; Statutory Records; Listings in Estate Inventories; Hudson's Bay Company Activities; Use in North Carolina and Virginia; Massachusetts Truckhouse Operations; Pennsylvania Indian Traders; Blacksmith Activities; Importation and Sale; Summary

3. The Hand-forged Trap at Its Height (1751-1850)
Introduction; Front-Line and Merchant Traders; Pennsylvania Indian Stores; Indian Affairs in New York State; Military Use of Traps at Fort Pitt; Spread of Traps through the Old Northwest; Continuing Activities in the East; About the Turn of the Century; Early Activities of the Chouteau Family; The Michilimackinac Company; The Missouri Fur Company; Menard and Valle; The Rocky Mountain Fur Company; The Columbia River Fishing and Trading Company; The North West Company; The Hudson's Bay Company; The American Fur Company; Operations in the Southwest; Alaskan Operations; U.S. Indian Agencies; Localized Operations and Activities; Design of the Traps; Quality of the Traps; Shipping Containers; How Traps Were Made; Miles Standish, Trapmaker; Summary

4. The Period of Mass Production (1851-1985)
Introduction; Transition Period; Hart Traps; Watkins Traps; Flynn Traps; Davies Fish and Game Traps; Newhouse, Hawley and Norton, Victor, All Steel, Oneida Jump, and Conibear Traps; Dresser and Jillson Traps; Tryon and Sanford Traps; P. S. & Co., P. S. Mfg. Co., P. S. & W. Co., Hector, Victoria, Good Luck, Jump, Jumper, Hopper, Rev-O-Noc, and Crescent Traps; Hotchkiss Traps; T. P. Barnes Traps; Blake & Lamb, Hercules, Sure Hold, Sure Grip, and Aleutian Island Special Traps; Hudson's Bay Steel Traps; Union Hardware Traps; Eagle Claw Traps; Lynex Clap Bow Traps; Sargent, Crescent, Blake Pattern, and All Right Traps; Phelps and Little Throttler Traps; Alexander Clutch Traps; Dwight and Cortland Traps; Out-O'-Sight Mole, Stop Thief, and Tree Traps; Little Samson, Sensible, and Safety Traps; Streeter-Anstice Cast Iron Mouse and Rat Traps; Clincher, Arrow, Bullock, and Steelsmith-type Gopher Traps; Nisbet Traps; My Favorite Traps; Laramie Clutch Traps; Schuyler Traps; Gabriel Automatic-Setting and Fish and Animal Traps; Underwood Traps; Pendulum Trigger Game Traps; Sure Death and Alligator Game Traps; Triumph, Mascot, and Kriket Traps; Kubes Humane Game Traps; Sabo Sure Catch Traps; Joe Ortlieb Traps; Funsten Submarine Traps; Fur Harvester Traps; Stephens Anti-Freeze and Snow Traps; Thayer Claw Traps; Gibbs Traps; Nelson-Boode, Trail's End, or Trailzend Traps; Eclipse Traps; Taylor Runway or Bait Traps; Goshen Traps; Diamond, Whippet, Taylor Special, and Economy Traps; La Valley Clutch Traps; 2-in-l Traps; Triple S Automatic Traps; Bigelow Humane Killer Traps; Crago Clutch Traps; Cooper Clutch, Barrel, and Bull Dog Grip Traps; Nebraska Trail Traps; Austin Humane Killer Traps; Savaleg Traps; Hersom Easy Grip Traps; Adirondack Instant Death Traps; Clayton Traps; Norberg Seal Traps; Kleflock Killer Traps; Champion, Cush-In-Grip, and Escape Proof Traps; Verbail Chain Loop and Bird Traps; Wasson Chain Loop Traps; Knapp Chain Loop Traps; Arcola Humane Traps; Epp Chain Loop Traps; Champion Multi-Trigger Traps; St. Louis Fur Traps; Prott Traps; Dearborn Traps; Bell Spring Traps; Shene Traps; Olds Humane Predatory Bird Traps; Clipper Traps; Ketch 'Em Traps; Jack Frost Nev-Ur-Lose and Body Grip Traps; Cosey Killer Traps; Elenchik Traps; Nolet Coil Spring Bear Traps; Woodward Death Clamp Traps; Aldrich Spring-activated Foot Snares; Montgomery Digger, Step-in, Dog-On, and Stake-n-Take Traps; Mohawk Traps; Dahlgren Gentle, Compensator, Shur-Pelt, and Hunter Traps; Dietrich Killer Traps; Troop Traps; Canada Traps; Nipissing Instant Killer Traps; Taylor Killer Traps; Lohmar Traps; Master Killer Traps; Gagnon Killer Traps; Hanson and Benz Traps; Sterling Traps; Triple J Killer Traps; Webley Traps; Manning Wolf Traps; Mole and Gopher Traps; Imported Traps; Man Traps; Unidentified Traps; Summary

5. What the Future Holds

Appendix: An Annotated Listing of Makers of Hand-forged Traps
Notes
Bibliography
Index